AKRON, Ohio — The Badin High School baseball program won't soon forget its special journey to the state tournament this season.
Newark Licking Valley defeated Badin 2-1 in nine innings in a Division III state semifinal early Friday afternoon at Canal Park in Akron.
Licking Valley (25-6) advances to Saturday's Division III state final. Badin (26-7) completes its season as a state semifinalist.
Badin, ranked No. 3 in the season’s final Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association state poll, earned plenty of memories during this year's journey.
"We've had a lot of success," Badin coach Brion Treadway said. "And somehow they managed to raise the bar again. And so I'm just very proud of them. That was an unbelievably enjoyable season. Those guys gave us everything they had every day."
Badin scored in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game at 1-1 on Friday. The teams went to extra innings with the same score. Licking Valley scored a run in the bottom of the ninth which proved to be the difference.
Badin left nine runners on base. Licking Valley had two runners on base.
"Incredibly competitive baseball game and our guys did a great job competing," Treadway said. "And you got to tip your hat to that opponent. They never quit either. And their pitcher did an unbelievable job. But, I'm just very proud of my team."
Badin junior pitcher Caleb Driessen threw 8 1/3 innings and five strikeouts. Licking Valley senior pitcher Evan Lichtenauer had seven strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings. Junior Austin Vangen had a run batted in for the Rams.
Badin sought its first state title since 1996 and third championship overall in program history. The Rams have made the state tournament for the 16th time as a program.
This was the second straight season Badin has made it to the state final after being a 2024 state runner-up. It was the fourth trip to the state Final Four in the past five seasons.
Badin won state championships in 1996 (Division II) and 1991 (Division III).
Treadway, a 1997 Badin graduate, won both games as a pitcher in the 1996 state Final Four.
Badin was the first of three Greater Cincinnati teams to compete in the baseball state tournament this weekend. The Rams arrived Thursday in Akron and practiced at the University of Akron. Badin had a 10 a.m. Friday game to start the day at Canal Park.
This weekend marks the 97th annual Ohio High School Athletic Association baseball state tournament. There were 757 schools in Ohio who played baseball and seven will be crowned as a state champion.
Indian Hill is scheduled to play Sandusky Perkins in a Division IV state semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium in Canton.
Lakota West plays Lewis Center Olentangy in a Division I state semifinal at 4 p.m. Saturday at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium.
The Division IV state final is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday at Canal Park. The Division I state final is 4 p.m. Sunday at Canal Park.
